Hydrobrew opened for business in North County San Diego in November of 2004. Owned and operated by Lars and Sonya Gilman, Hydrobrew is a true family business dedicated to providing first-rate merchandise at reasonable prices without sacrificing top-notch customer service and support.

Lars Gilman is a gardening enthusiast and homebrewer who enjoys making his two favorite hobbies into his occupation. Before opening Hydrobrew, Lars worked for several years as a brewer for the Stone Brewing Company in San Marcos, after having studied brewing technology at the Siebel Institute in Chicago. When he’s not tending to his garden or his latest batch of beer, Lars enjoys bicycling, going to the beach, cooking, and spending time with his daughter, Azra.

Sonya Gilman is a certified medicinal herbalist who trained at the Chicago College of Healing Arts as well as a full-time mother (is there any other kind?) who spends her spare time making sure that Hydrobrew stays financially sound